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"Yeah." He pulls me closer against his side. "I expected more threats and violence, I guess. I just need a minute."

"They like you." I nudge him with my elbow. "Anyway, how about some chocolate?"

He stares at the small chocolate-peanut bar I'm offering him. Then at me. Then his arm drops from my shoulders, and he takes a step back.

"Brooke." He stares at the chocolate, an expression I can’t read flickering across his face. "Are you Pavloving me?"

I recoil. Am I? I never realized I was, but now that I think of it, I did offer him chocolate a few times when he turned off his fake persona and became honest with me. Whoops.

“Fuck. Maybe?” Oh, shit. It might have been unintentional, but that doesn’t make it any less manipulative and messed up.

“What do you mean by ‘maybe?’” He chuckles, and a weight falls off my shoulders when he reaches for my hand again.

I let out a relieved sigh. Good. He isn’t angry. “Now that you mention it, I might have been? Unintentionally, I promise.” Damn, my cheeks along would be enough to keep the mulled wine hot the rest of the evening.

He snatches the chocolate from my grip and takes a bite of the bar. "I can't believe you're Pavloving me."

"Subconsciously, to be fair." I explain and give his hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Kieran. It wasn’t intentional. Force of habit."

“What good behaviors have you been rewarding?”

I tilt my head, trying to think of each time I offered him sweets. “When you opened up to me. Or when you stopped using your fake persona or laughing things off that were obviously important to you.” My eyes jump to him. "I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad."

"How could I be?" He takes another bite. "Not cool, though." He taps my nose. "Don't do it again."

He takes a few steps away. Then he stops and glances at me over his shoulder. "At least not with these chocolate bars, because they're really fucking addicting and I have a figure to maintain."

"Noted." I grin and he pulls me with him the last few meters to our drinks.

Chapter 41

Kieran

By the time the music switches to ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and the barn turns into a disco, I sneak outside and try to find a quiet place. I need some fresh air and a minute to catch my breath.

Oh, how I envy Dick. Curled up with a friend on a comfortable couch and still recovering from the exciting Christmas market days sounds like the ideal way to spend this evening. But when your new girlfriend, who you’re head over heels for, asks you to come to her family's Christmas party, you can't exactly say no.

At least it gives me a break from obsessively checking the videos we posted for Brooke’s shelter. They’re all doing well, but as much as it pains me to admit, Nic is driving home the victory with this one. Her fans are donating so much, and the view count on her video is double of Lauren’s and mine combined.

"Do you want a smoke?"

“Jesus Christ.” I jump, my heart beating so hard I'm afraid it might jump out of my chest. "Jamie, you scared the shit out of me." How did I miss the eye-hurting color of his clothes?

"Sorry. Want one?" He’s leaning against the barn, one foot flat against the wall. His spot is under a small roof, a shadow dark enough to hide most of the atrocious color of his Santa costume. He opens his pack of cigarettes and offers it to me, but I shake my head.

"No, I'm good. Never took that shit up."

"Good," he mumbles and lights his cigarette. "Wish I hadn't either, but here I am. Don't tell Brooke. She’d give me the scolding of a lifetime."

"I won't." I lean against the wall next to him with a grin. "As long as you don't give me any reason to."

"Ah, you sneaky bastard." He sounds amused. "Touché."

"Hey, I have to work with what I the universe hands me." My chuckle turns white in front of my face, not too dissimilar to Jamie's cigarette smoke.

"You're in love with Brooke? She's not a rebound from Evan?"

"God, no." I shake my head and cough, because the cigarette smoke tickles the back of my throat funnily. “Seriously? A rebound? Twelve years later?” Does he know the definition of a rebound?